J&K Police Bust Inter-State Drug Racket, Seize 58 Kg Poppy Straw in Samba; One Arrested

JAMMU, Aug 5: In a major crackdown on narcotics, Jammu and Kashmir Police have busted an inter-state drug smuggling network and arrested a suspected supplier after seizing 58.068 kilograms of poppy straw in Samba district. According to an official statement, the operation was carried out by Police Station Ghagwal following specific intelligence inputs about the movement of narcotics through the area. A police team established a vehicle-checking naka on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway at Tapyal and intercepted a container truck travelling from Kathua towards Bari Brahmana. During a thorough search of the vehicle, police recovered 58.068 kg of poppy straw concealed inside the container in an apparent attempt to evade detection. The driver, identified as Deepak Singh, a resident of Seshwan in Marheen tehsil of Kathua district, was arrested on the spot. Police also seized the truck used for transporting the contraband. The combined value of the seized narcotics and the vehicle is estimated at around Rs 60 lakh. A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, and further investigation is underway. Preliminary investigation suggests that the consignment was transported from Madhya Pradesh and had links to Punjab, with plans to distribute the narcotics in Kathua and Samba districts. Police are now working to trace the entire supply chain and identify both the source and intended recipients of the consignment. Reaffirming the district police’s zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Samba, said strict legal action would continue against all those involved in the narcotics trade, with the objective of making society safe, healthy and drug-free.